Facebook Photo-Tagging Suggestions Feature Terminated In Europe

Facebook users in Europe should be noticing by now that they can no longer use the photo-tagging suggestions feature on their account. The site removed the feature after complaints were raised from privacy regulators across the EU.

News of the photo-tagging suggestion feature shutdown was made by Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) Billy Hawkes who issued a report this morning regarding Facebook’s compliance with organizational recommendations that were suggested in December 2011.

“As our regulator in Europe, the Irish Office of the Data Protection Commissioner is constantly working with us to ensure that we keep improving on the high standards of control that we have built into our existing tools.

This audit is part of an ongoing process of oversight, and we are pleased that, as the Data Protection Commissioner said, the latest announcement is confirmation that we are not only compliant with European data protection law but we have gone beyond some of their initial recommendations and are fully committed to best practice in data protection compliance.”

New users can no longer access the feature and users already using the Facial Recognization option will see that feature terminated indefinitely on Oct. 15.

Before terminating the program Facebook had auto-enrolled users in the facial recognition software with an opt-out option available to those users who opposed its use.